Christ Assembly │ The Harmony of the Gospels

Christ Assembly │ The Harmony of the Gospels

The Miracle of Inspiration

Part Ten

The Harmony of the Gospels

The Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) often present parallel accounts of the life of Jesus Christ. Sometimes the parallel accounts do not contain word for word similarities. Some people jump to the conclusion that when the words do not match, the Bible writers did not accurately report the very words of Jesus, but rather only communicated the meaning of His message. Consider the following example.

Mark 3:34 “Looking about at those who were sitting around Him, He said, “Behold My mother and My brothers!”

Matthew 12:50 “For whoever does the will of My Father who is heaven, he is My brother and sister and mother.”

Mark 3:35 “For whoever does the will of God, he is My brother and sister and mother.”

As you can see from this comparison, most of the wording is very similar. Even so, one Sunday School teacher used this passage to proclaim the “gist” theory of inspiration. He said that the two passages differ, so that one report did not contain the very words of Jesus, but rather the “gist” of His remarks. If you believe that God always tells the truth, and that the Bible writers reported facts truthfully, then you can rely upon the truthfulness of God to report the exact words Jesus spoke. The “gist” theory of inspiration cannot be true, because God communicated not the “gist” of the words of Jesus, but the exact words of Jesus. So also here in both of these passages Jesus spoke the exact words recorded in both passages.

The Audiences

Notice in the Matthew 12:49, page 1522, Jesus was stretching His hand out towards His disciples. With them, Jesus referred to “My Father who is heaven.” In Mark 3:34, page 1563, Jesus was looking about at those sitting around Him, and referred simply to “God.” Numerous explanations can account for the different terms: “My Father in heaven” and “God.” We know that the Bible does not record every word spoken by Jesus: “And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they were written in detail, I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books that would be written” (John 21:25, page 1698). Jesus often spoke for hours at a time, and even kept His audience for more than a day (Matthew 15:32, page 1529). During His message, Jesus could have spoken both phrases, one to His disciples and another to the group at large sitting before Him. Think about this verse (Luke 12:41, page 1625): Peter said, “Lord, are you addressing this parable to us, or to everyone else as well?” The disciples knew that Jesus was speaking at times to multitudes, and at other times only to them. Consider also two other verses (Matthew 13:10-11, page 1522): “And the disciples came and said to Him, ‘Why do You speak to them in parables?’ Jesus answered them, ‘To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to them it has not been granted.'” Jesus directed His remarks to different audiences, and told and taught His disciples things He did not speak to the multitudes. In the Mark passage about His family, Jesus said for disciples, “My Father in heaven.” For those sitting around Him, He refers to “God.”

“My Father in Heaven” and “God”

The “gist” theory of Inspiration glosses over the differences with words because it seeks only the “gist.” Yet, the “gisters” deny that inspiration means that the Bible accurately reports the exact words of Jesus. For them, the doctrine of inspiration only means that God approved the written product, and it did not always report the exact words Jesus used. In other words, for the “gisters,” God approved the final product because it contained the “gist” of the message and meaning of Jesus. Such thinking, however, undermines every word in the Bible because the gist theory of inspiration relegates words to a category of truth mixed with lies. For the “gisters,” the words of Jesus have been lost forever. They maintain that the Bible writers accurately reported some of the words Jesus said, but those same writers also placed words into the mouth of Jesus which He never said. Although attorneys today often try to place words into the mouth of a witness, we should recognize the “gisters” use the same artifice. They opine that Jesus never said some words attributed to Him as direct, verbatim discourse. When two similar passages contain different words, how can the “gister” know which words were actually spoken by Jesus, and which words were merely attributed to Jesus by the writer? In fact, the “gister” cannot really know which were original and which were merely attributions without a factual basis. They have truly lost the very words of Jesus forever. In contrast to the “gist” view, the Bible actually causes us to praise God that His Word has been recorded miraculously and the Bible writers accurately reported every fact, including the words spoken by the Lord Jesus Christ.

Consider how radically the “gisters” miss the message of Jesus in the passages above. When Jesus used the term “My Father in heaven,” He described a particular relationship He enjoyed with God as His Father. The word “Father” means something very different from “God” and using the term “My Father” means a very special relationship with God. At another time, Jesus elaborated upon His relationship to God as His Father and also claimed the title of God for Himself. The Jews listening to Jesus discuss His relationship with the Father took up stones to kill Him when they understood He claimed to be Yahweh of the Old Testament (John 8:48-59, pages 1672-1673). No one can seriously maintain that Jesus, in this passage above, meant the term “God” to communicate the same meaning as the term “My Father.” In this comparison of family relationships, Jesus emphasized: (1) His divinity and (2) His family relationship with both His heavenly Father and His earthly spiritual relatives. Jesus spoke both phrases, and revealed something different with each phrase. We should always keep in mind that when we read parallel passages, and the words do not match exactly, we should recall that differences in words mean that God was making different points in each passage. Both passages are true, and need to be examined to understand how they harmonize with each other.

So we learn about the inspiration of the Word of God today.

● The Word of God means that God spoke His very words through the Bible, and every word God inspired.

● The Word of God means that when we see apparent discrepancies in parallel passages, we need to look more closely at the audience, and seek to harmonize the passages, before we dismiss differences as errors. Both passages may contain the actual words of Jesus, spoken at different times to the same audience, but at different time.

● The Word of God means that when two passages contain different information, we should not immediately dismiss one passage as untrue. In fact, it may be impossible, following this theory, to know which passage actually contains the truth. The best approach will always be to analyze both passages, and consider every possibility that both passages contain the truth of God. Jesus declared every word of His Bible to be true, and we should follow the teaching of Jesus.

Application for Today

When we read the Bible, we should hear what Jesus says to us. We should believe that Jesus only tells us the truth, and rely upon His word as truthful. Will you be reading God’s Word and expecting to read His truth today?

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Welcome !

Welcome to Christ Assembly. As born-again believers, baptized by Jesus Christ in the Holy Spirit, we love to glorify God through the study and application of His Word, the Bible. As we study the Bible, we seek to know God better, and to introduce others to the loving salvation of Jesus Christ received by faith alone.

We value the spiritual gifts bestowed upon every born-again Christian and seek to equip them for the work of service for Christ Jesus. Only through every saint using the spiritual gift(s) bestowed upon them will the body of Jesus Christ reach spiritual maturity and avoid being blown about by every wind of doctrine. May God have all the glory, always.
HALLELUJAH !

Spiritual Help

Eternal Life

People often ask me about how they can find spiritual peace. They tell me about their serious illness, divorce, drug addiction, alcoholism, and many other problems that grieve them. So many people share with me that they have never felt truly loved in their entire life, even though they have been married for decades, and have grandchildren. So many people feel a spiritual hunger and thirst within themselves. Jesus loves people and wants you to know all about His great love. He called it the greatest news anyone will ever hear. So, let me share with you about Jesus, Who loves you today. In Jesus, you can receive peace with God today. Jesus alone provides spiritual peace.

Romans 10:9

“Jesus asks you: ‘Why should I let you into My heaven?'”

Let me start with a question. Imagine you were to die today, and stand before Jesus Christ. Imagine further that Jesus looked at you and asked: “Why should I let you into My heaven?”
Take a moment and think about what you would say to Jesus. I have personally asked that question to hundreds and hundreds of people, if not thousands, one person at a time. Jesus always deals personally with you. He knows your name, and loves you personally. Jesus knows your good points and your bad points.

Romans 3:23

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

As God in the flesh, Jesus totally understands who we are as sinners. Sinners fall short of the glory of God. Sin separates us from spiritual peace with God today. In God’s eyes, we all fall short of the glory of God. We do not act perfectly all of the time and so fall short of His glory. We tell lies, we think impure thoughts, we do things we know we should not have done. The road to peace with God starts with understanding that we all sin and we all fall short of the glory of God. As sinners, we tend to hide our sins in darkness, but Jesus helps us recognize that we are sinners and need to come into the light of God. We take the first steps down the path of peace with God by agreeing with God that we are sinners. God helps us walk down the path of peace with God by His divine power. Only by God’s power can I change my mind and accept the truth that I am a sinner. I must repent of my sin and seek God’s forgiveness for my sin. How do I find forgiveness?

Romans 6:23

“For the wages of sin is death; but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Jesus, the Son of God, offers forgiveness to sinners as a gift. In order to have peace with God, we must receive God’s gift of forgiveness. Before we can grasp God’s offer of forgiveness, we must understand God’s justice and how it works. God tells us that justice imposes a penalty upon sin. God said that the wages of sin is death. Just as we earn wages for our work, so sin earns the wage of death. This spiritual death results from us sinning and falling short of the glory of God. God cannot remain just, and simply ignore our sin. Justice requires that every sin be paid by the death penalty. You have sinned so you deserve to die spiritually. Sin causes the spiritual death of the sinner. Now let us focus upon the gift of God: forgiveness. As a sinner, deserving death, I really do not deserve a gift of eternal life. Instead of death, God wants me to have eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Yet, my sin blocks me from having eternal life. To sinners God loves to give the free gift of eternal life. Although I have earned the death penalty by sinning, God offers me eternal life as a free Christmas gift. I cannot earn the gift of eternal life, and I do not deserve the gift of eternal life. God just wants me to have His gift of eternal life. God purchased the gift of eternal life, just for me, the sinner. Why would God give me gift of eternal life?

Romans 5:8

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

God gives the free gift of eternal life to sinners because God loves sinners like me. The road to peace with God means that I learn and accept that God loves sinners. Jesus came to love sinners. While I was a sinner, God loved me. So many people think that God hates sinners, but God tells us just the opposite right in this verse. I do not have to clean up my life before God will love me. God loves sinners. God gives the gift of eternal life to sinners, not to perfect people. You see, the gift of eternal life means that I believe that Jesus as God died for me on the cross. I recognize that I deserve the death penalty because I sinned, but Jesus took my place on the cross and died for all my sin. He satisfied God’s justice by paying the death penalty for me. God now offers me a free gift of eternal life, because Jesus loves sinners, and gave His life to die on the cross to pay for all my sins. Jesus demonstrated God’s love for sinners. How do I accept the free gift of God?

Romans 10:9

“that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”

You accept the free gift of God by confessing Jesus as Lord and believing in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead. We believe that God told us the truth that we fall short of the glory of God because we are sinners. Wonderfully, God loves sinners just like me. God purchased the gift of eternal life for me. I reach out by faith alone to accept the free gift from God. I believe that God sent Jesus as God in the flesh to die for me on the cross. Jesus paid the death penalty for me. Jesus satisfied the justice of God. New life in Jesus Christ begins with faith and continues for eternity. You can accept the free gift of eternal life right now, no matter where you are. Pray this prayer of faith.

Lord Jesus, I confess that I am a sinner and fall short of the glory of God.

Lord Jesus, I confess that I deserve the death penalty. I repent of my sins.

Lord Jesus, I believe that You died on the cross in my place, because You loved me and paid the death penalty for me.

Lord Jesus, I confess you as Lord of my life.

Lord Jesus, I believe that God raised You from the dead. I accept right now Your gift of forgiveness for all my sins, and thank You for saving me.

Amen.

If you prayed that prayer in faith, please send me an email through the contact box below. I look forward to getting to know you and help you walk daily with Jesus Christ. At the moment of salvation, the Holy Spirit of God comes into our lives and makes us new creations. You have an abundant life in front of you, filled with joy and peace with God. We must learn from Jesus, and He is humble and gentle with us.